For seven years, students from the AuTrain Onota School District have participated in the annual Children’s Exhibition, a very special artwork display at the DeVos Art Museum on the campus of Northern Michigan University in Marquette. Fourteen students in grades kindergarten to eighth have crafted unique and engaging artwork and are sharing it with the public. AuTrain Onota schools is one of only nine total schools showcasing their work and art teacher, Diane Illikainen, considers this a prestigious honor for her students.

Each year AuTrain Onota students learn about a different country and share what they have learned on a special day in May. Part of this experience includes crafting art pieces related to that specific country. This year, Denmark is the country the students are learning about and many of the art pieces being displayed are related to the country. Attendees will see student work that includes landscapes of Copenhagen, Scandinavian Folk Art, whittling, sewing, and Danish Christmas ornaments. The students went one step further in their tributes to the country by creating Lego self-portraits to honor the fact that the Lego factory is located in Denmark.

Working together over the course of the school year, students meticulously collaborated to create eye-catching pieces that showcase their individuality and artistic talents as well as all that they have learned over the course of their lessons on the country. Most pieces took around two hours to complete with older grades dedicating many hours to learning to sew, weave, crochet, and knit to bring their projects to life.

The school district is ranked in the top 30% of nearly 3,000 schools in Michigan according to publicschoolreview.com and Ms. Illikainen believes that the art program, along with music and physical education offered in small class sizes, helps develop creativity, healthy ways of expression and well-rounded students.

The public is encouraged to attend the exhibition and support the student’s talents. Museum hours are Monday-Wednesday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday 12 p.m. – 8 p.m., Friday-Saturday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. and is closed on Sundays and holidays. The museum offers free admission and is located at the corner of Tracy and 7th Streets in Marquette.